Lions snap counts: Detroit combines defensive fronts to stop Texans’ run game

A look at the Detroit Lions’ Week 10 snap counts against the Houston Texans, including how they combined different defensive fronts in an effort to stop the Texans’ rushing attack.

Let’s take a detailed look at the Detroit Lions’ Week 10 snap counts from their 26-23 win over the Houston Texans , giving them an 8-1 record on the season.

Offense

Quarterbacks

Jared Goff: 65 (100%)
Hendon Hooker: 0 (0%)

A night to remember with a box score to forget. Goff showed his mental toughness after throwing five interceptions in the first three quarters, only to mount a fourth-quarter comeback victory that saw him complete six of eight passing attempts for 79 yards, a touchdown, and a passer rating of 145.3.

Running backs

Jahmyr Gibbs: 39 (60%)
David Montgomery: 26 (40%)
Craig Reynolds: 0 (0%) — 20 special teams snaps (67%)
Sione Vaki: 0 (0%) — 20 (67%)

With the Texans possessing a penetrating speed defensive front, the Lions countered with a bit more Gibbs in this game, as opposed to their more traditional even split of reps. Gibbs was also significantly more productive on the ground (3.7 yards per carry, compared to Montgomery’s 2.7 YPC) and the Lions may have stayed with the hot hand.

Reynolds and Vaki played exclusively on special teams, where the rookie had one of the best tackles you’ll ever see in punt coverage.

Tight ends

Sam LaPorta: 39 (60%)
Brock Wright: 37 (57%) — 4 (13%)
Shane Zylstra: 19 (29%) — 19 (63%)

LaPorta was well into his best game of the season when a mid-third-quarter injury eventually knocked him from the game. Fortunately, the injury is not considered long-term .

“I don’t know how significant it will be, (but) it’s not something like—this is not, ‘He’s going to be out four weeks,’” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “Maybe, he might miss this week. We’ll see. He’s got a little sprain in here (points to shoulder/neck) kinda the AC joint. He tried to go back in and it wasn’t quite right. It didn’t quite feel right. So we’ll get it checked tomorrow, we’ll see where it’s at, see how significant it is, and just take it day-to-day.”

Both Wright and Zylstra saw their usage pick up with LaPorta on the sidelines, but they mainly continued to focus on blocking, as the ball went to speedier options.

Wide receivers

Amon-Ra St. Brown: 64 (98%)
Jameson Williams: 48 (74%)
Tim Patrick: 32 (49%)
Kalif Raymond: 16 (25%) — 11 (37%)
Allen Robinson: 4 (6%)

St. Brown was the workhorse in this game, per usual, while Williams made his presence known after returning from suspension. Patrick saw his snaps drop back down to WR3 levels, while Raymond and Robinson each have key skills they bring to specific plays.

Offensive line

Penei Sewell: 65 (100%) — 4 (13%)
Graham Glasgow: 65 (100%) — 4 (13%)
Kevin Zeitler: 65 (100%) — 4 (13%)
Dan Skipper: 65 (100%) — 4 (13%)
Frank Ragnow: 65 (100%)
Jamarco Jones: 1 (2%)
Kayode Awosika: 0 (0%) — 4 (13%)
Michael Niese: 0 (0%) — 4 (13%)
Taylor Decker: INJURED — INACTIVE
Colby Sorsdal: INACTIVE
Giovanni Manu: INACTIVE
Christian Mahogany: INACTIVE

With Decker injured, the Texans made sure to deploy Danielle Hunter at right defensive end, across from Skipper, on two-thirds of his snaps. Skipper got help from chipping tight ends and running backs, and even saw Jamarco Jones help out on one snap, but he had a tough day in pass protection.

One of the reasons the Lions likely elected to use Skipper at left tackle and keep Sewell at right tackle was because of all the unique play calls they had already installed in their game plan. We saw Sewell all over the field, and when he gets into space, it’s a thing of beauty.

For example, the Lions probably don’t have plays like this at their disposal if Sewell is at left tackle:

Defense

EDGE:

Josh Paschal: 61 (90%)
Levi Onwuzurike: 58 (85%) — 6 (20%)
James Houston: 16 (24%) — 11 (37%)
Al-Quadin Muhammad: 14 (21%)
Za’Darius Smith: INACTIVE

With no Za’Darius Smith, the Lions used a combination of old and new defensive front philosophies in this game. In addition to keeping Onwuzurike at defensive end—he saw 39 snaps on the edge and 19 inside—they also leaned on more pass rushing or “box” SAM linebacker sets (more on that in a bit). When Smith makes his Lions debut (presumably next week) expect both Paschal and Onwuurike’s numbers to dip, which will help them stay a bit fresher.

Houston had his best game in a year and a half, generating three pressures, recording a sack and almost getting credit for another. It felt like he was on the field more than just 16 snaps, but if he continues to play the way he did in this game, he may very well earn more opportunities. Muhammad has a similar amount of snaps, and while he didn’t show up as much, he did stand out when asked to set the edge—something you won’t see in the box score.

DT:

Alim McNeill: 59 (87%) — 6 (20%)
DJ Reader: 39 (57%)
Mekhi Wingo: 10 (15%) — 6 (20%)
Pat O’Connor: 8 (12%) — 17 (57%)

McNeill was a game wrecker, generating four pressures and recording a sack. He was collapsing the pocket most of the night and was often forcing Texans’ quarterback C.J. Stroud off his spot. Reader doesn’t show up in the stats this week, but he is doing his job and freeing up others. Both Wingo and O’Connor stayed inside the majority of their snaps, and while Wingo out-snapped the veteran, it was O’Connor who registered a sack.

Linebackers

Alex Anzalone: 68 (100%)
Jack Campbell: 68 (100%) — 4 (13%)
Trevor Nowaske: 33 (49%) — 26% (87%)
Ben Niemann: 13 (19%) — 26 (87%)
Ezekiel Turner: 0 (0%) — 26 (87%)
Abraham Beauplan: 0 (0%) — 11 (37%)
Malcolm Rodriguez: INJURED — INACTIVE

Anzalone and Campbell did not leave the field on Sunday and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see this snap distribution stick for the remainder of the season. Campbell has been flourishing of late, especially against the run, and is earning more time.

Nowaske saw 26 of his 33 snaps inside the box in the “box” SAM role the Lions used early on in the season with Derrick Barnes. The remainder of his snaps, as well as Niemann’s 20, were as a more traditional off-the-ball SAM, similar to how they have been using Malcolm Rodriguez of late.

My numbers are rough, but it looks like the Lions used a three-linebacker set with a “box” SAM around 38% of snaps, two off-the-ball linebacker sets around 33% of the time, and a traditional three off-the-ball linebacker sets around 29% of the time.

While the “box” SAM is typically thought of as a pass rushing role, the Lions leaned on it in this game to help set the edge and stop the run—and it worked beautifully:

Cornerbacks

Terrion Arnold: 68 (100%)
Carlton Davis: 65 (96%)
Amik Robertson: 29 (43%)
Kindle Vildor: 3 (4%) — 15 (50%)
Khalil Dorsey: 0 (0%) — 26 (87%)
Ennis Rakestraw: 0 (0%) — 10 (33%)

Safety

Kerby Joseph: 68 (100%) — 6 (120%)
Brian Branch: 68 (100%)
Brandon Joseph: 0 (0%) — 11 (37%)
Loren Strickland: INACTIVE

While the Lions defensive front saw some alterations, the secondary saw the same distribution of snaps we have seen in recent weeks.

Arnold, Davis, Joseph, and Branch play virtually every snap—save the three snaps when Vildor replaced Davis due to injury—while Robertson was on the field in nickel situations. For the second week in a row, the Lions were in nickel exactly 43% of snaps, which continues to be well below the NFL average.

Special teams

Jake Bates: 9 (30%)
Jack Fox: 8 (27%)
Hogan Hatten: 8 (27%)

For the second time this season, Bates was called upon to kick a potential game-winning field goal on the road with time expiring, and once again he delivered. Bates is a perfect 14 of 14 in field goal attempts this season, and while he made us sweat both fourth-quarter kicks, he got both between the pipes, and that’s all that matters.

“Inches are right down the middle,” Campbell said of Bates’ game-winning kick. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s right down the middle.”